“I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me,” the musician shared.

Phil Collins reveals he’s under 24-hour care because of health challenges: ‘Frustrating last few years’

"I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me," the musician shared.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

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January 21, 2026 11:50 a.m. ET

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Phil Collins performing with Genesis in 2022. Credit:

Gina Wetzler/Redferns

Phil Collins will celebrate his milestone 75th birthday on Jan. 30, and ahead of his big day, the musician opened up about the health challenges that have plagued him for years and his recent journey with sobriety.

During an interview with Zoe Ball for BBC's *Eras* podcast, the former Genesis frontman and solo artist revealed that he's under 24-hour care as he contends with the complications from his spinal injury in 2007. The injury damaged vertebrae in his upper neck and caused lasting nerve damage, leading him to tell fans in 2021 that he could "barely hold a drumstick."

Phil Collins in 'Drummer First' doc.

"[It's] an ongoing thing," Collins said when asked if he's come to terms with being unable to play music because of his health issues. "You know, I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication as I should do. I've had challenges with my knee... I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me."

The Grammy winner revealed that he has undergone five surgeries on his knee and now has one "that works." "I can walk, albeit with assistance, you know, crutches or whatever," he said.

Collins previously lamented, in a joint interview with BBC Breakfast and his bandmates, how his physical challenges made it hard for him to perform with Genesis. He was especially frustrated as they were heading into the group's farewell tour in 2022, which saw Collins' son, Nic, deputized as their drummer while his father focused on his role as frontman.

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"I'm kind of physically challenged a bit which is very frustrating because I'd love to be playing up there with my son," Collins said at the time, adding that the tour would be his final time on the road. "I think, yeah, I think just generally for me, I don't know if I want to go out on the road anymore."

Looking back at his experience touring with Ball, Collins confessed that he complicated his health further by "drinking too much," which affected his kidneys.

Phil Collins on his Still Not Dead Yet Live tour in 2019.

Elena Di Vincenzo/Getty

"I enjoyed coming off tour. Coming off the road... I thought, right, I'm gonna do all those things that I couldn't do," Collins shared. "I guess I had too much of it. I was never drunk, although I fell over a couple of times. But it is just one of those things that happened and it all caught up with me, and I spent months in hospital."

But the incident served as a wake-up call for Collins, who shared that he recently celebrated two years of sobriety. "It's just been a difficult, interesting, frustrating last few years," he told Ball. "But it's all right now."

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Elsewhere during the conversation, Collins admitted that there was part of him that was trying to make up for things "that I've either done or have made people feel. Or affected the kids in any kind of negative way." Collins has five children from his three marriages: Nic, 24; musician Simon, 48; actor Joely, 52; football player Mathew, 21, and *Emily in Paris* star Lily Collins, 36.

Phil Collins and Lily Collins in 2012.

Todd Williamson/Getty

"I had a very happy family life," he noted. "My kids are amazingly well-adjusted considering some of the things that you've been through, you know? And as I've said before, I'm very proud of all of them. They've all stood on their own and done what they believe in. I feel very lucky about that. But I couldn't have wished for a more varied and eventful playing career, and I don't have periods where I kind of dig me."

The first four episodes of *BBC Eras: Phil Collins *are now available on BBC Sounds. Episode 5 will be released on Jan. 26 on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer. It will also air on BBC Radio 2 on Feb. 1.**

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